Safety lock for vault doors



Sept. 22, 1925. 1,554,460

R. o. PATERSQN SAFETY LOOK FOR vwrm DOORS Filed April 14. 1922 2Sheets-Sheet 1 I11 ue/ZZF/f R. D. PA TER so Sept. 22, 1925. 1,554,460

R. D. PATERSON SAFETY LOOK FOR VAULT DOORS Filed April 14 1922 '2Sheets-Sheet 2 R. .0. P4 TERSOJY' v Patented Sept. 22, 1925.

ROBERT 'D; PATERSON, 01E PEGRIA, ILLINOIS.

sunny LOCK non VAULT .noons.

Applieatio-nhfiled- April 14, 1922. Serial- No. 552,570.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT. D, 'PATERsoN, a citizen of the United Statesof America, and resident of Peoria, Peoria County,

Illinois, have invented a new and useful: Safety Lock for Vault Doors,of which the following is a specification. I

Anobject of this invention is to provide an improvedsaiety lock forvault and safe doors to prevent chance or involuntary occupants of thevault from'beinglockedtherein by the main locking mechanism and also toprevent reopening of the door by an unauthorized or .un-instr-uctedperson after he hasv attempted to close and lock the same.

A further object of this invention is to provide improved means normallyoperating to prevent complete closing of the door, thereby preventingoperation of the main locking mechanism.

A further object of this invention is to provide improved. meanstoprevent reopening of a vault door afiter attempted-closing thereof by anunauthorized or uninstructed person such as a robber.

A further ob'ect of this invention is to providemeans to renderinoperative thelastabove described means, for normal closing and"locking of the door;

A further object of this invention is .to provide improved mechan-ical'me'ans .to operate the supplementary locking mechanism by and throughcontact with the door frame.

A further object of this invention is to provid an emergency orsupplementary locking means comprisinga hook onthe door adapted toengage with the door frame or an element rigidly carried thereby, toprevent reopening ofthe door after attempted closing by an unauthorizedor uninstructed person, and means for automatically moving said hook tooperative position by and through closing movement of the door.

lVith these and other objects in view, my invention consists intheconstruction, arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter setforth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated by the'accompanyingdrawing, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view, partly in section, showing aportion of a vault or safe door equipped with my improved emergencysafety lock. Figure 2 isan inner elevation of the same elements, partlyin section. Figure 3 is an end elevation of the operating elements, onan enlarged scale, partly in section on the line 3.3 of Figure 1:.

ure 4 is a detail sectionon the line d-l ofi Figure 3. Figure 5 is aview similar, to, Fig,-': ure 1, showing. the ,parts in operative .posi

tion. Figure6 is a cross-section. on thehne 6-6 01: Figure 5.Flgureshows-a modified form.

Robbers attempting to hold up and rob.

bank often force-the cashier, clerks or etherv guardlans into the vaultand lock thedoor so as to be undistrubed in: their operations.

It is to ove-rcome and-prevent this that EIhave designed this safety oremergency locking mechanism for the vault. door, which oper atesautomatically by and'throug'h the attempted closing of the doortouprevent complete closing and therefore rendersimpossible the lockingof the door by 'the. usual bolt work or locking mechanism. My device.operates further to .prevent the'robbenor other unauthorized person fromreopening the door when he discoversthat his attempts to close and lockit are vain, thus safe guarding the occupants of the vaultirorn therobber and permitting them to*employ any means which may be provided,such as a telephone within the vault, to communicate with the exteriorto summon aid. Ialso provide means which: prevents. this emergencylocking mechanism from function ng at times, as when it is desired toclose and lock the door for the night, the emergency means, however,being brought. automatically into position for functioning when the dooris again opened, and rendered operable through closingof the door unlessthe releasing means is again set manually. l p

In the drawings the numeral 10- designates the body or plate of a vaultdoor havingan internal flange ll-spaced from its unargins, through whlchflange the common bolts or docking bars (not shown) are adapted forreciprocationby common means to engage ment with the door frame 12,. thedoor 10 being hung in said frame by means of hinges A block 14 ismounted on the uppermost flange 11 of the door near thehinged marginthereof, and is secured to said flange as by cap screws 15. An emergency"locking hook 16 is mountedon said flange 11 at a distance from one endof the block 14 andlis pivoted near one endto'said flange by means of acap screw 17. Ordinarily the locking book 16 is held, by means to bedescribed, in

a position resting on and extendinglongitudinally of the flange 11, asshown by-sohd lines in Figure 1; and when such holding means is releasedsaid hook is adapted to be moved to a position at right angles to suchnormal position, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1, forengagement with a member such as 18 rigidly carried by the-door frame orprojecting downwardly from the roof of the vault. When the hook 16 is soengaged, the door of course is prevented from. being reopened. In thepresent instance Ihave shown a spring 19 coiled on the screw 1? in arecess in the hook and engaging said hook at a point spaced from itsfulcrum, it being the function of said spring to tend to move and holdsaid hook in operative position, that is projecting from the flange atan angle as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1. The hook 16 is heldin inoperative position, against the pressure of the spring 19, by akeeper member 20 of angular form in plan view. The stem of the angularkeeper 20 is disposed on the flange 11 between the block 14 and doorplate 10 and the extension or head of said keeper projects between theend of said block and the butt end of the hook 16 and in contact withsaid hook; and when said keeper is in horizontal position on the. flange11, such contact with the hook holds the latter member in inoperative position. A rock shaft 21 is journaled in and transversely of the block14. and the keeper 20 is fixed at the end of its stem to said rock shaftby means of a set screw 22. A rectangular recess 23 is formed in one endof the block 14, at that side farthest from the door plate 10, and anoperating member 24, substantially square in cross section, is mountedin said recess and on the rock shaft 21, which projects within saidrecess. Means is provided for detachably connecting the operating member24 to the rock shaft, as shown in detail in Figure 4, for oscillation ofsaid rock shaft with said operating member. The rockv shaft 21 is formedwith a radial notch or seat 25' where it is engaged by the operatingmember, which latter member is formed with a longitudinally extendingbore or recess 26. Mounted in the recess 26 of the operating member is alatching pin 27, the inner end of which is adapted to enter the notch orseat 25 of the rock shaft and form an operative connection between saidmembers. The outer end of the recess 26 of the operating member isclosed by means of a plate 28 having a slot 29 through which the pin 27projects. The pin is yieldingly held to latching position by a spring 30coiled thereon within the recess 26 and engaging at one end the innerface of the plate 28 and at its opposite end a shoulder 31 on said pin.At times the pin 27 may be withdrawn longitudinally to release it fromthe seat 25, by

manually grasping a head 32 formed on its outer end; and may be held insuch released sh aft.

position by means of a shoulder 33 on said pin adapted to engage theplate 28 at the lower end of the slot 29 when the pin is withdrawn andslightly depressed manually. When so depressed and engaged, the head 32of the pin project's slightly beyond the lower margin of the plate andoperating member 24, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 4.

In practical use the parts are assembled and arranged as shown anddescribed' of the operating member 24. projects above the horizontalplane of the lower margin of the top of the door frame 12, suchhorizontal plane being indicated by the dotted line 12 in Figure 2. Theoperating member 24 is beveled on top on that side farthest from thedoor 10, that is: to say on the side which first approaches the doorframe 12 in closing of the door, such beveling being indicated by thenumeral 34. Furthermore, when the parts are in the position described,the hook 16 is in inoperative position longitudinally of and resting onthe flange 11, being held in such position by contact ofits butt endwith the head of the keeper 20, against. the tension of the spring 19.In the event it is: attempted to close the door while the parts are sopositioned, as by a robber or other unauthorized person designing tolock the attendants or guardians in the vault, the closing movement ofthe door causes the beveled margin of the operating member 24 to engagethe lower margin of the top member of the door frame 12. The operatingmember 24 normally is held in its upwardly inclined position by means ofa spring 35 secured at one end to the block 14, coiled on the rock shaftand engaging said operating member at a point spaced from said rock Itsengagement with the door frame causes the operating member 24 to bedepressed against the action of this spring toward a horizontalposition, thus rocking the shaft 21' and lifting the free end of thekeeper 20. As the keeper 20 is considerably longer than. the operatingmember 24, the lifting movement is amplified at the free end of thekeeper, so that a slight depression of the operating member by contactwith the door frame causes a material raismg of the free end of saidkeeper, sufiicient to carry such free end above the plane of the book 16and release its holding engagement with said hook. This permitsthe book16 to move through an arc o-fabout ninety degrees, under the influenceof the spring 19, toa position substantially perpendicular to the doorplate 10. Such lifting of the keeper 20 also serves to carry its freeend materially above the plane of the lower margin of the top member ofthe door frame 12,.whereby, lying between the door plate 10 and saidframe, it prevents complete closing of the door. door is completelyclosed in its frame, it cannot, of course, be locked by means of theordinary locking mechanism, for the locking bolts cannot be shot totheir seats,

or being shot fail to enter their seats in the frame. When the robberdiscovers that his attempts to close and lock the door are vain, he isvery apt to attempt to reopen the door to threaten or coercetheoccupants of the vault. By this time, however, the released andspring-pressed hook 16 has traveled into position for engagement. withthe rigid member 18, the book being beveled at its end to facilitatesuch engagement, which efiectively prevents reopening of the door untilsaid hook is released. This may be accomplished manually from within thevaultwhen the robbers haveleft or assistance has arrived. Vhen theemergency has passed, the parts may be placed in their normal positionsshown by solid lines, in which position they are inoperative yet readyto function upon attempted closing of the'door.

lVhen the door is to be closed-for the night, or at any time when itisnot desired to use the locking hook 16, the operating member 2-l isdisconnected from the rock shaft by. withdrawal of the pin 27, andengagement of the shoulder 33 thereof with the plate 28 at the lower endof slot 29.

Then the operating member is oscillated manually to depressed position,the end of the pin 27 passing beyond the seat 25, or is depressedautomatically by closing of the door and consequent engagement of thebeveled margin of said operating member by the door frame as previouslydescribed. As the operating member is now detached from the rock shaft,such movement has no'eifect on the keeper 20 or hook 16. As theoperating member 24 is moved tohorizontal position by the engagementjust described. the projecting end of the head 32 of the latching pinengages the upper surface of the flange 11 and sufficient pressure isexerted to release the shoulder 33 of the pin from contact with theplate 28 and permit the spring30 to move the pin inwardly toward andinto engagement with the rock shaft 21, at a point below the seat 25.Thereafter, when the door is opened,

Unless the complete closing ofthedoor;

the operating Inemberis raisedby the spring,

is automatically placed inposition for open,

ation by operative connection of the operating member with the-rockshaft. When the door is completely closed theopera-ting member'norntallyis held in depressed position by parts/of the door frameqmor if'the doorframe is not so constaaic-t-ed-as to fund tion in this manner, a specialmember may be provided for the purpose. 1

- My mechanism may also be employed in association with, while notdirectly connected to, a pressure bar system such' as is sometimes usedto facilitate closing of a vault door. When so used my improved devicesfunction in the mannerh-ereinbefore described to prevent completeclosing ofthe door and consequently prevent engagement of the pressurebars in their seats.

In Figure 7 I have illustrated as con-- struction in which the spring 19to throwithe hook into operative position is dispensed with. Instead thehook 16 is provided with a mechanical connection to thekeeper-memher 20,by means of a cable 36, vorother flexible member, secured at one end bymeans of a screw 37 to the hook at a point beyond its fulcrum, andsecured atits opposite end to the member 2O bymeans of a screw 38. Whenthe keeper 20 "has moved 'out of holding engagement with the hook, draftis applied through the cable 36 to cause the hook-to move into operativeengagement with a member sncha's 18. v

-I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the preciseconstruction and arrangement ofu-parts herein shown and described, asvarious modifications, within the scope of the appended claims, may i'beemployed without departing from the spirit of my invention. V

I claim as my invention normally holding said operating member away fromsaid flange and across the plane of-sard door frame, said operatingmember adapted to be engaged and oscillated by sa1d door frame inclosingmovement of the door to throw said first mentioned member'across theplane of the door frame and prevent 2. The combination with -a doorframe and a door hinged therein, said door'being formed with a flange onits mner face, of a member pivoted on said flange andadapted 1.- ,Thecombination witha door frame and fdoor hmged therein, sa1d door beingformed to be moved beyond the margin of the door and across the plane ofthe adjacent margin of the door frame, an operating member secured toand extending at an angle with said member and beveled on one margin,and a spring acting to hold said operating member away from said flangeand across the plane of said door frame, said operating member adaptedto be engaged on its beveled margin by said door frame and oscillated inclosing movement of said door to throw the first mentioned member acrossthe plane of the door frame and prevent complete closingof the door.

3. The combination with a door frame and a door hinged therein, saiddoor being formed with a flange on its inner face, of a member pivotedon said flange and adapted to be moved beyond the margin of the door andacross the plane of the adjacent margin of the door frame, an operatingmember detachably connected to said member, and a spring acting to holdsaid operating member away from said flange and across the plane of saiddoor frame, said operating member adapted to be engaged and oscillatedby said door frame in closing movement of the door to throw the firstmentioned member across the plane of the door frame and between saiddoor frame and the door to prevent complete closing of the door. 4. Thecombination with a door frame and a door hinged therein, said door beingformed with a flange on its inner face, of amember pivoted on saidflange and adapted to be moved beyond the margin of the door and acrossthe plane of the adjacent margin of the door frame, an operating memberconnected with said member, a spring acting to hold said operatingmember away from said flange and across the plane of the margin of thedoor frame, said operating member adapted to be engaged and oscillatedby said door frame in closing movement of the door to throw the firstmentioned member between the door and door frame and prevent completeclosing of the door, and a locking hook pivoted on said flange, saiddoor frame being formed with an element adapted to be engaged by saidhook to prevent opening of the door, said book being moved to operativeposition when said first mentioned member is oscillated.

5. The combination with a door frame and a door hinged therein, saiddoor being formed with a flange on its inner face, of a member pivotedon said flange and adapted to be moved across the plane of the adjacentmargin of said door frame, an operating member connected with saidmember, a spring acting to hold said operating vmember away from saidflange and across the plane of the margin of the door frame, saidoperating member adapted to engage and be oscillated by said door framein closing movement of the door whereby the first mentioned member ismoved to position between the door and door. frame, and a spring-pressedlocking hook pivoted on said flange, said door frame being provided witha rigid element to be engaged by said hook to prevent reopening of thedoor, said first mentioned member operating to hold said hook ininoperative position until oscillated by said operating member.

6. The combination with a door frame and a door hinged therein, saiddoor being formed with a flange on its inner face, of a rock shaftsuitably journaled and carried by said flange, a member secured tosaidrock shaft and adapted to be moved beyond the margin of the door frame,an operating member secured to said rock shaft and lying in a differentplane from said member, a spring acting to hold said operating memberaway from said flange and across the plane of the margin of the doorframe, said operating member adapted to engage and be oscillated againstthe action of said spring by said door frame when the door is moved toclosed position, thereby rocking said shaft and moving the firstmentioned member to a position between the door and door frame, a hookpivoted on said flange, said door frame being provided with a member tobe engaged by said hook to prevent reopening of the door, and means setin motion by oscillation of said first mentioned member to move saidhook to operative position.

7 The combination with a door frame and a door hinged therein, said doorbeing formed with an internal flange,- of a rock shaft suitablyjournaled and carried by said flange, a member secured to said rockshaft and adapted to be moved across the plane of the adjacent margin ofthe door frame, an operating member pivoted on said rock shaft, aspring-pressed latching pin adapted to detachably connect said operatingmember to said rock shaft, a spring acting to hold said operating memberaway from said flange and across the plane of the margin of the doorframe, said operating member adapted to engage and be oscillated by saiddoor frame in closing movement of the door whereby said first mentionedmember is thrown between the door and door frame, thereby preventingcomplete closing of the door.

8. The combination with a door frame and a door hinged therein, of arockshaft suitably journaled and carried by said door, a

member secured to said rock shaft and adapted to be moved across theplane of the adjacent margin of the door frame, an opmargin of the doorframe and adapted to engage and be oscillated by said door frame inclosing movement of the door, whereby the first mentioned member isthrown between the door and door frame, and means to hold said latchingpin in inoperative position.

9. The combination with a door frame and a door hinged therein, of arock shaft suitably journaled and carried by said door, a member securedto said rock shaft and adapted to be moved across the plane of the adjacent margin of the door frame, an operating member loosely engagingsaid ro'ck shaft, a spring-pressed latching pin adapted todetachablyoonneotsaid operating member to said rock shaft, saidoperating member normally extending across the plane of the margin ofthe door frame and adapted to engage and be oscillated by said frame inclosing movement of the door, whereby the first mentioned member isthrown between the door and frame, means to hold said latching pin ininoperative position, and means to release said latching pin fromholding position in the oscillation of said operating member. I

10. In a device of the class described, a

rock shaft formed with a seat, a member loosely engaging said rock shaftand formed with a longitudinal recess, a latching pin mounted in saidrecess and adapted to enter said seat, a spring tending to hold said pinto its seat, a plate closing the outer end of said recess, said platebeing formed with a slot through which said pin projects, said pin beingformed with a shoulder adapted toengage said plate at the edge of saidslot tohold said pin out of its seat.

Signed at Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, this 12thday of April, 1922.

ROBERT D. PATERSON.

